At the End
by Nadreth
Summary: They don't see a man when they look on me, they don't even see that I'm human. I am a symbol of what they hate and despise, each persons face twisted with complete disgust. This is Peter's trial, his final moments in writing. AU One Shot.


**WARNING:** Harry Potter an the Half Blood Prince Spoiler!

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**At the End  
**_By, Tarawen_

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I am a traitor and an idiot and these are the only titles I can truly claim. I stand here my face blank and without feeling as the audience of judges watch my every move.

They don't see a man when they look on me, they don't even see that I'm human. I am a symbol of what they hate and despise, each persons face twisted with complete disgust. They are right to look at me this way with horror and disgust, as the true Judge lists off what I am on trial for I'm digusted with myself. They are right to hate what I am and who I became.

My life was only used to destroy others, and really it would have been better if had not been born. I used to fear everything, used to think that death was the worst thing that could happen. But no longer, now before I am killed I see that what I did was much worse...much, much, worse.

"Peter Pettigrew" the Judge proclaims, "What have you to say in your defense?"

I raise my eyes to focus on the crowd andthey are not empty of emotion the way my face is, they are a swirling vortex of self loathing; my eyes finally come to rest on the man I hurt the most.

He sits there his emerald green eyes astonishingly calm, he has learned some important lesson that I never could understand and never will. What it is I don't know but he has learned it better than most.

He is James son in many ways his looks, his confident smile. But the eyes are Lilys, with their penetrating depth and assuring stare.

Now I know what I must do, how I must reply in order to repent at least in part.

"I have nothing to say in my defense," my shrill voice echoes across the stone room "But I do have one last thing to say, permission to speak?"

The Judge stares at me a moment before nodding briefly, I know her as well, another women I have hurt. Her name is Hermione Granger and I am the reason her husband is dead, by all rights she should have turned me down and sent me to the Dementors the minute I stepped into her court. But she is a kind women and she has given me a gift -I will never be able to repay her.

"I have no excuses for my actions other then being a loathsome coward. I betrayed my best friends, and destroyed their sons life, I sent another friend to Azkaban. What I have done is unforgivable and inexcusable and I request death as my reward so that I can see my old friends and let them do as they well with me."

My voice grows quieter as I state this -and brave, heroic, Harry looks on, his eyes meet mine and he nods slightly. He has not forgiven me, but I did not expect forgiveness rather he seems to respect my last words, for they shall be my last words - I will not speak again in this life.

Hermione brings her hand down in a deft swift motion, "Very well Pettigrew, you will be put to a quick easy death, though it is more than you deserve"

I nod my head and follow the guards out of the room, a murmur of surprise breaks out in the room behind me, they expected my speech to be another ploy to continue living, but no, this time I meant what I said. It seems one of the only times I recall speaking the truth.

The guards and I reach a room with a wide window, outside the sun has reached its zenith, this shall be the last sight I see though it is too good for me. I should have been killed in a dark spider infested cellar, but instead they have given me one last look at the sun in all its glory.

A green light bursts behind me and now I am moving up toward the sun, its light shining brightly in my eyes, I glance once back towards my body as it falls to the ground. Down below leaving the building I can see Harry Potter staring straight at me as I go to the realm of death as though he can see my sprit in it's final flight.

I will take this one chance to be at peace before Lily, James, Sirius, Dumbledore, and Ron have there way with me. They deserve this chance after all if not for me, maybe I would be the only one dead.

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**A/N:** _Well what do you think? At first Dumbledore wasn't mentioned at the end, but then I read HBP, and well...he is dead so I thought...well I thought he should be mentioned._


End file.
